The Philadelphia 76ers have a James Harden situation. The team and its star guard are in a standoff as Harden wants to be traded while the Sixers aren’t super eager to move him. But in the meantime, Harden is enjoying his summer with some of his Philly teammates. He was seen partying with them and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

Rubin, a former co-owner of the Sixers, annually throws a massive party in the Hamptons and draws guests from all corners of the sports and entertainment world. Harden was spotted there with Sixers owner Josh Harris and posted pictures of the event with Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, among others, with Tyrese Maxey in the background of another picture. Harden posted on Twitter and Instagram with his teammates and numerous other celebrities and athletes with the same caption: Great Fellowship #Uno.

Harden posting with many of his Sixers teammates is interesting given his trade demand, though the fact that he is still cool with his teammates is not too shocking. By many accounts, he enjoyed their company and vice versa since landing in Philly at the 2022 trade deadline. His issue is with the front office, the entity which has seemingly left him with no better options than to opt into his player option and demand a trade.

The Sixers' supposed desire to keep Harden doesn’t match the way they handled his contract situation. Rather than try to sign him to a multi-year deal right away, they played things more cautiously and let the market dictate how much Harden should be worth. With no other suitors showing strong interest, not even the Houston Rockets, Harden did not get the contract he had hoped for.

While concerns about his playoff woes and age are legit, Harden is still one of the best players in the NBA. He was the Sixers' offensive engine last season, feeding Embiid for easy buckets and scoring on his own, but he sacrificed some money to allow the team to get deeper. In his eyes, he hasn’t been rewarded for it in the form of a contract with longer terms. Even as he enjoys the company of his teammates, Harden and the Sixers brass are engulfed in a feud that could take months to solve.

Not too long ago, the Sixers were in a similarly uncomfortable situation with Ben Simmons, the guy they traded to get Harden. Time has indeed been proven to be a flat circle — one featuring a big “76” and 13 little stars surrounding it.